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Ruth Erskine's Son
Ruth Erskine's Son

Chapter XXIX

Cover illustration for Ruth Erskine's Son
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.
When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.
"How soon do you think she could come to us?"
"Who?"
Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Ruth Erskine's Son

Chapter XXIX

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.
Line 2
When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.
Line 3
"How soon do you think she could come to us?"
Line 4
"Who?"
/huː/
Line 5
Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Asked noun US /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.”

Because conjunction US /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading “RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"How soon do you think she could come to us?"”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “"How soon do you think she could come to us?"”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.”

Question noun US /ˈquestion/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.”

Silence noun US /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading “RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"How soon do you think she could come to us?"”

Stopped noun US /stopped/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.”

Think noun US /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"How soon do you think she could come to us?"”

Told noun US /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.”

All words in this reading · 53

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

askednounUS /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

astonishment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

blurred

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

carefully

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

controlled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

Erskine

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

expected

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

How

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

low

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

moment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

more

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

mother

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

penetration

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

questionnounUS /ˈquestion/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

RENUNCIATION

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

Ruth's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ruth's astonishment blurred for the moment her penetration.

sat

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

soon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

speaking

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

spoke

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

stoppednounUS /stopped/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

there

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

thinknounUS /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

toldnounUS /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"

utter

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

voice

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When at last Erskine spoke in a low, carefully controlled voice, he asked the very last question that his mother expected.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

WHENconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading RENUNCIATION WHEN she stopped speaking because there was nothing more to be told, they sat for a little in utter silence.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Who?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "How soon do you think she could come to us?"